NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Student athletes learn valuable lessons on and off the court during their careers. Monday night many Tennessee State student athletes learned valuable lessons that will influence them on the playing field and in life.

Monday night more than 60 select TSU student athletes were a part of the OVC Leadership Academy led by Dr. Becky Ahlgren Bedics of Ahlgren Bedics Consulting, LLC Janssen Sport Leadership Center.

The course was offered to coaches and members of the athletic department staff in the morning; with the night cap directed at their student athletes. OVC commissioner Beth DeBauche organized the leadership building courses for all the universities in the conference with the goal of giving student athletes and coaches a new outlook on leadership.

“It’s good to hear from an expert that has done it at different levels and has figured the pieces out,” said Senior Woman Administrator Valencia Jordan. “So as we go through our struggles we don’t stay there but really have a blue print on how to perfect those things to become successful.”

Student athletes participated in activates to learn different forms of leadership, as well as self-evaluations to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

“I never realized you had to be an enforcer and make conflict to lead, because I’m someone who shies away from conflict,” said freshman softball player Liz Stansberry. “So that was an eye-opener for me to see that I need to work on that type of leadership to help my teammates out.”

Dr. Ahlgren Bedics also spoke on the fact that being a leader off the field is important, but putting in work now will help in down the road.

“Leadership is with you your whole life,” Stansberry said. “It’s going to improve you as a person and your relationships with other people.”